That sould have said "Head/Cam/Headers"

This is a budget build. I found a used set of AFR 205 to start my "11" second motor build. I am installing the AFR's milled to 62 cc, .040 cometic head gaskets, 226/230 605/609 on 112+1 cam, and LG Pros. My goal is to be able to run low 12's in the 110 degree heat of Vegas. So l I actually started a week ago by draining the coolant and refilling the radiator with a flush then driving around for a day. Next day I flushed with clean water and drained everything.

Thursday I removed the plastic coil covers and sprayed the entire engine down with some orange environmentally friendly cleaner and rinsed the motor off. Here in Havasu it dried in minutes except the areas of the intake where I siphoned the water off. Then I put the car up on rinno ramps.

Friday I removed the air intake, radiator, fans, water pump, power steering, and the steering rack.

This morning I removed the complete exhaust, back to the over axle pipes, plus intake and heads.

I followed the LS1 "How-to" directions for a C5. There are a few things that are not the same from a '98 C5 vs a '02. For one thing is I did not use the jack stands in front as I don't like them as well as ramps. I guess this comes from all the years of living in CA with the earthquakes! I only jacked up the passenger side off the ramps , removed the tire, and slide the steering rack out. Then I reinstalled the tire. There are a few changes in fastener sizes and you have to hold the tapered fasteners on the ends of the steering rods with a 6mm allen wrench.
Anyhow the hardest part I found was removing the dam 13mm and 15mm bolts from the back of the heads to remove wiring harnesses. I would have thought GM would designed a simpler attachment. I know they are not going back on the same way!

Tomorrow I will start cleaning the deck as I don't have the dampener puller, and I need to mock up one head to get my push rod length. I am pretty sure what it is, but want to verify it just in case I have to buy different length ones.
This has been fun but I'm glad I can take my time as I am not as young as I used to be. Just don't tell my mind!

 

Good luck
all will go well for you, one important word of advice,dont move the steering wheel around, with the rack removed, you will destrioy the steering wheel postioning sensor, and that will be an extra five hundred dollars, had that happen to move during cam install. Ouch!

 

What pushrods are you going with? Terry Manton makes a set of killer 11/32, not sure they will fit though but are smaller than the 3/8 that won't fit without work on the heads. He custom makes to order so length is not a concern.

 

Thanks for the reminder. Its in the instructions also.

Mike V

 

I bought a set of comps. I will verify they are the right length today.

Mike V

 

xtc you've got PM. I messed up my sensor I think =(

 

Any update on the progress.... Planning a heads/cam upgrade myself.

 

Hey Falcon. I hope some of this will help.

First. Remove the anti lock brake block and tie it back to the driver side hood N2 strut, then slide the rack out the passenger side until it it's able to be lowered and taken out the driver side.

Second. I siponed the water out of the open ports of the water pump. This lowered the water level so you don't get much leakage when the heads are removed.

Third. I sprayed the deck with the 12 oz. Permate gasket remover. Part number 80646.This helped remove all the carbon from the top of the pistons and the residual gasket material fron the deck area.

Hope this helps. Send me a PM if you have more questions.

Mike V

 

If you are doing heads you better do lifters!! They aren't that expensive and since you have to take off the heads it's really a "while you're at it" replacement. I had a stock Z06 lifter break and several others badly worn just 20k miles after a LG G5X-3 cam. The lifters themselves lasted 41k miles. I've got morel racing lifters in my new build...

 

Just use a shop vac to suck the water out of the heads before pulling. Almost nothing gets down the bolt holes.

 

I am doing LS7 lifters. Like you said. If your lifting heads, you may as well do lifters as they are cheaper than cometic gaskets!

Mike V

 

Today I cleaned up the combustion chambers on the last of the used AFR's and then I cased the threads on both sides of the block. After that I started on the passenger side and started cleaning the tops of the pistons and the deck of the block. The tops of the pistons cleaned up very easy compared to the combustion chambers in the heads!

Mike V

 

Wednsday update: Completed cleaning the deck area on the car. Cleaned the water pump mounting surfaces, changes out all the o-rings on the 30# SVO injectors as I don't know there condition.

Got the dampner bolt and dampner off. Removed the timing chain and oil pump. Removed cam. Cleaned out all the areas of the cam that I could.
Lubed up new cam and installed with new LS2 chain. Installed new LS7 lifters and trays. Tomorrow I am going to port the oil pump and button up the front of the motor, then slide in the headers and install the heads.
Mike